


We Are Infinite As The Universe

by zerodawn_vibes



Series: Written in the Stars [2]
Category: Karlie Kloss - Fandom, Kaylor - Fandom, Taylor Swift (Musician)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/F, now its time to get sapphic, so i proved that these two are soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2019-06-25
Packaged: 2020-03-09 14:37:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18919024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zerodawn_vibes/pseuds/zerodawn_vibes
Summary: Sequel to We Are Written In The StarsAfter years of dreaming, Taylor and Karlie have finally found each other. With so many past lives behind them, it is time to see what their current life holds in store for our girls.





	1. Your Hand Prints On My Soul

_In which doubts are cleared, and a long-overdue breakfast date takes place._

Taylor Swift was terrified.

To anyone else, it was just a normal day. But to Taylor, that day marked a realignment of her entire world. After a lifetime of dreams and unanswered questions, she had finally found her. She had finally found Karlie.

The pair were still in the small gallery of the Met, locked in an embrace neither were willing to break. Around them, the Met was steadily beginning to fill with early morning crowds, some staring at them curiously.

Taylor sighed against Karlie’s shoulder. They had to let go sooner or later. Taylor had been recognised in far less conspicuous locations throughout her career, and she didn’t have her security team with her to make an escape.

But she only held Karlie tighter, her internal logic warring with the fact that she had never felt as safe, as warm, as at peace as she did in that moment, holding the girl from her dreams.

It was that exact sense of security that terrified Taylor.

How could it be possible? How could the girl she had been dreaming about since she was a child actually be real? How could she have known Karlie for only a few minutes, and yet feel so sure that this was the person she would spend the rest of her life with? It was exhilaration and terror all at once, a blind leap into the unknown.

For a horrifying moment, Taylor was convinced Karlie would disappear if she let go, fade away like another dream. Through all the uncertainty this new situation brought, she knew for a fact that she would shatter if she lost Karlie now.

But the noise of the crowd was increasing, and their moment of solace, for now, was coming to a close. Burying her face into the taller girl’s shoulder, she pulled Karlie impossibly closer.

“I’ve been dreaming about you,” she whispered. “For so long.”

“Me too,” Karlie, whispered. “For years.”

“Promise me you won’t disappear if I stop hugging you?” Taylor mumbled.

“Oh god no. I’m not going anywhere. Just…” Taylor felt Karlie’s hand cradle the back of her head. “Promise me the same thing? Please? I still feel like I’m dreaming.”

“I promise. I feel the same way.”

“Good.” Karlie whispered.

A sinister voice in the back of Taylor’s head was telling her it wasn’t real. That it was too impossible for someone she had only ever dreamed about to be standing before her. That she would wake up the second she stopped touching Karlie.

“Okay,” Taylor took a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut. “Okay.”

Inch by inch, she peeled away from Karlie, a mantra of “ _please be real, please be real, please be real_ ” looping through her mind. Heart racing in her chest, she took a step back until only her fingertips were brushing Karlie’s arm.

Time for a leap of faith.

“Okay,” she said to herself again, and took her hand away, eyes still clenched shut.

There was a horrifying beat of silence, a moment where Taylor was certain Karlie had vanished, and her whole world threatened to crack apart.

“Taylor?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you gonna open your eyes?”

Hands balled into fists, shoulders tensed up around her neck, Taylor blinked open one eye, then the other.

Karlie was still there. Beautiful, gangly-limbed, sunshine-of-a-smile Karlie was still standing in front of her.

Every muscle in Taylor’s body seemed to relax at once, and she let out an audible sigh of relief, earning a laugh from Karlie. She was still so hopped up on adrenaline and nervous energy, it felt as though her heart was going double-time.

Wait.

Taylor frowned. Something weird was happening with her heartbeat. Pressing a hand to her chest, she closed her eyes, focusing.

She could feel her own heart under her palm just fine, but she could have sworn there was something else echoing through her chest. Almost as if she was feeling someone else’s heartbeat alongside her own.

“Oh,” she whispered.

“Taylor?” She looked up to see Karlie holding a hand against her own chest, a slight frown on her face.

“Karlie? Is that…” Taylor’s mouth dropped open. “Is that you?”

“I think so!” Karlie’s eyes shone with excitement as she took Taylor’s hand and placed over her heart.

Sure enough, the heart under Taylor’s fingers beat in tandem with the echoing pulse in her body. She was feeling Karlie’s heartbeat, fluttering with excitement.

“That’s you!” Taylor exclaimed, hopping up and down with joy. “Oh my god that’s you!”

Karlie’s jaw hung open in disbelief. “Wait, so are you feeling a weird thudding in your chest? Like, just behind your heart?”

“You feel it too?” Taylor grabbed Karlie’s hand and placed it over her heart, mirroring her earlier action.

“Wow,” Karlie whispered, a crooked grin on her face. “We can feel each other’s heartbeats without actually touching! That’s so _cool_!” Karlie jumped with excitement, long legs tucking under her body with each exhilarated leap.

Taylor laughed at Karlie’s antics, hands cradled to her chest, savouring the way she could feel each beat of Karlie’s heart, each change in tempo, how it started thudding harder with each jump she took.

That moment was so precious, Taylor wanted to memorise everything about it, so that she could tuck it away somewhere safe, remember it always. Every little detail.

The way Karlie’s smile lit up her entire face. How the loose t-shirt and leggings she wore, obviously for comfort, hung so perfectly off her frame. The way her eyes sparkled, despite their slight redness that Taylor could only assume was the result of a long flight. How the sunlight filtering through the museum’s windows hit her hair, turning the light brown strands into a haze of gold.

“I like your hair,” she blurted.

Karlie stopped jumping. “Thanks,” she said, “I grew it myself.”

“No,” Taylor laughed. “Oh my god. I like the colour.” She stepped into Karlie’s space, hands coming up to gently toy with the ends of her hair.

“In my dreams you were always blonde. But you look so good with brown hair.” She smiled as she felt Karlie’s heart stutter through their new connection.

“Thank you,” Karlie whispered, shaking her head. “I still can’t believe how beautiful you are,” she said quietly, staring at her in awe.

“Oh no,” Taylor covered her face, embarassed. She had been in such a hurry to find Karlie that she had grabbed whatever clothes were on the floor of her bedroom. Suddenly, her messy hair, baggy hoodie and cat-print sweatpants made her feel vulnerable.

“I must look like a mess! I only just woke up, I’m not wearing any makeup…”

“No, you’re perfect,” Karlie pulled her hands away, clutching them tightly. “You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. And I don’t lie about stuff like that.”

Taylor gave a shy smile, the honesty and openness in Karlie’s voice making her shiver.

“Your heart rate just kicked up a beat,” Karlie grinned.

“Shut up,” Taylor laughed playfully. “The girl from my dreams turns out to be real, and on top of that she’s gorgeous _and_ charismatic. What do you expect my heart’s going to do?”

It was Karlie’s turn to blush, ducking her head bashfully to stare at the floor. “Yeah, well, I’ve been waiting a long time to meet you. Gotta make a good first impression.”

“You already have,” Taylor whispered, then shook her head. “God we’ve really done this backwards haven’t we?”

“How?” Karlie frowned.

“Well, we’ve never met until now. I don’t know anything about you, not really. But I feel like I have everything I need to know already, even though you’re a total stranger. And it’s scary having that much faith in someone I’ve only just met! We’ve never even been on a date or anything. I haven’t even introduced myself…”

“We can fix that!” Karlie stepped back, holding out a hand. “Hi, I’m Karlie Kloss. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Taylor smiled and took her hand, giving it a firm shake. “Taylor Swift. And the pleasure’s all mine.”

“There! Now that we’ve introduced ourselves, Taylor Swift, would you give me the honour of taking you out to breakfast?”

“Are you asking me on a date Miss Kloss?” Taylor said playfully.

“You’re the one who suggested it in the first place!”

“Did I? I can’t remember,” she teased. 

“You did! You said we haven’t even been on a date yet. This is my attempt to fix that.”

“I’d love to,” Taylor whispered, voice heavy with sincerity. “There’s nothing I’d love to do more.”

Karlie grinned that sunshiney smile of hers and took Taylor’s hand, gently leading her out of the gallery. Marvelling at the feel of Karlie’s fingers against her own, Taylor knew then and there that she had already fallen for the other girl, and had fallen hard.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

Karlie turned to her, eyes sparkling. “I have no idea.”

How true that was, Taylor thought.

The pair had finally found each other. Fate, the universe, whatever force had once again pulled them together had done its job. The connection between them was obviously strong, but as Taylor said, they were strangers, past lives or not, linked only by a curious set of dreams.

Now, they were heading into unknown territory, with no more dreams to guide them. They may have been destined to meet each other in this lifetime, but what happened next, how their lives would pan out, was entirely up to them.

They really had no idea where they were going.

In her heart, Taylor knew she wouldn’t have another one of those dreams again. That adventure, that journey had ended.

It was time to begin a new one.

A few steps ahead and keeping a firm grip on her hand, Karlie led her through the crowds.

As she always had, Taylor followed.  

_\--------------------------------------------_

“This looks perfect,” Karlie said confidently.

The pair stood in front of one of the museum’s smaller cafes, tucked away in between galleries, almost in the corner of the building.

Karlie had spent the past twenty minutes determinedly striding between the various cafes and bars spread throughout the Met, searching for the best spot to have breakfast. Taylor had spent most of those minutes in a daze, still too blindsided by the abrupt turn her life had just taken to do much else besides stare at Karlie as she trailed along behind her.

“Is this alright?” Karlie asked, “I wanted to pick out someplace small. Plus, they have croissants, muffins _and_ cookies, so breakfast is going to be great.”

Taylor was shaken out of her reverie at the question. “No, this looks good,” she agreed. “Why did you want to pick out a smaller place? There’s plenty of bigger cafes here.”

Karlie seemed suddenly nervous. “I mean, I hope I’m not being too forward, but I know you’re a songwriter. I’m guessing people are starting to recognise you out in public more often? I thought we’d find somewhere more out of the way, so you won’t be noticed as easily.”

Taylor’s heart warmed at the thoughtful gesture, the butterflies in her stomach starting to take flight again.

“We can find somewhere else if you want,” Karlie hastened to add.

“No,” Taylor said quickly. “No this is perfect, really it is. That’s so nice of you to think of that.”

Karlie smiled, leading them to the far corner of the café, away from prying eyes.

“So, you know who I am then?” Taylor asked.

“Yeah, you’re Taylor Swift. You introduced yourself to me about half an hour ago.”

“No, I mean, you know what I do? Why people recognise me? I know there’s been some… things the media have said about me already that have been a little-.”

Karlie sharply turned on her heel, fixing her with a hard stare. “Yes, I know who you are. I know some people are scared of your success and how genuine you are. I’ve been reading what they say. And I don’t care.”

Unable to help herself, Taylor gripped Karlie in a tight hug, a tension she didn’t know she was carrying in her gut loosening at last.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “I was so scared you’d think badly of me before you met me, if I ever found you.”

“I don’t think I’d be able to even if I tried,” Karlie said.

The two separated, and Karlie quickly pulled out a chair for her.

“Do more people recognise you now?” she asked.

“It’s starting to happen more and more,” Taylor admitted. “Sometimes it’s a lot to handle, but when it’s a genuine fan, someone who’s been really touched by what I write, then that’s always worth the time.”

“Yeah, I’ve listened to all your music. I’m not surprised so many people love what you do.” Karlie said, sitting across from her.

“You’ve heard all my songs?” Taylor asked with a smile.

Karlie ducked her head, an embarassed smile playing on her lips. “Maybe once or twice. Maybe twenty times on repeat. I listened to everything as soon as I figured out you were the one from my dreams. You’re very good at what you do.”

“Thank you!” Taylor gushed. “Do you have a favourite?”

“Oh no,” Karlie laughed. “Don’t make me do that! I can’t choose.”

“I’m curious! Tell me.”

Karlie thought for a moment. “ _Love Story_ ,” she said. “If I had to pick one.”

“Really?” Taylor smiled. “How come?”

“It was the first song of yours I heard. I knew it was you the second I heard you sing. And I got your name and another dream out of it, so,” she shrugged shyly. “I don’t know, that one will always be special to me.”

The smile on Taylor’s face couldn’t be bigger even if she tried. It was incredible, she thought, how the songs she created and released into the world found their way to Karlie, even years before they met.

“So many of them were for you, you know?” Taylor whispered. “I didn’t realise it then, but I think I was writing those songs for you to hear. Some part of me always hoped you were real, ever since I was little.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Taylor nodded. “Actually, writing that song made me dream again as well.”

“Seriously?” Karlie’s lit up. “Which one?”

“You were a florist. I was a-”

“Tattoo artist,” Karlie finished.

“Yeah,” Taylor breathed, amazed. “You had that one too?”

Karlie nodded, “So just to make sure I’m not completely insane, have you been having dreams about us? Like, through different time periods and stuff?”

“Yes! Since I was-”

“Five,” they said in unison.

“Oh my god this is crazy,” Taylor shook her head in wonder. “Completely crazy.”

Karlie leaned forward on her elbows eagerly, attention fixed solely on Taylor.

“Tell me everything.”

_\--------------------------------------------_

Four scones, two muffins, a shared croissant and a plate of cookies later, the pair were all caught up.

Any doubt Taylor had that this girl was the same Karlie from her dreams disappeared the more they talked. Karlie had experienced the exact same dreams that she had been having for so long. She knew everything that had happened in those dreams, down to the tiniest detail, the smallest piece of dialogue.

She was amazed at how different, and yet how similar their journeys were. The intricacies and serendipity that eventually led to their meeting just hours ago was nothing short of a miracle in Taylor’s eyes.

She made herself a new promise then. No matter what was thrown at her, throughout all the highs and lows she was likely to face, she wanted Karlie in her life. She was ready to fight for that. Nothing was going to separate them again.

Except maybe the museum crowds.

By midday, the museum was packed, even the secluded seats they had chosen ineffective against the countless pairs of eyes.

Taylor had already caught a few curious, suspecting glances her way, had seen the faint glimmer of recognition in some gazes. While she knew their quiet corner and her casual clothes were likely throwing people off track, she knew it wouldn’t last.

It was making her fidgety.

“Hey, you okay?” Karlie frowned in concern. “You look nervous.”

“Yeah, um,” Taylor faltered, anxiety kicking in. She didn’t want to say goodbye to that moment. If it were up to her, she would have breakfast with Karlie for years more. But people were going to notice her sooner or later, and she didn’t want to deal with that, she didn’t want Karlie to have to deal with that. She wanted to leave but she didn’t want to disappoint Karlie and _god_ she was going to have to say goodbye to Karlie again what if she disappeared…

“Hey, woah,” Karlie leaned over to hold her hand, her frown deepening. “Taylor, your heart just started going super fast, I could feel it. What’s wrong?”

Taylor took a deep breath, clutching Karlie’s hand tightly. “I, um, it’s getting pretty busy in here and I’m scared we’ll get noticed, and I don’t want to trouble you with that and I do _not_ want to be caught here in my pyjamas,” she rambled.

“Okay,” Karlie said simply.

“Okay?” Taylor asked hesitantly.

“We can leave if you want to,” Karlie reassured. “I’ve probably eaten too many cookies anyway, and I still need to take my stuff home. I only just got off my flight,” she gestured with a nod down to the suitcase by her feet.

“I don’t want this moment to end,” Taylor whispered. Karlie’s face softened.

“Neither do I,” she said quietly. “I’m still convinced you’re going to disappear when I’m not looking. But there’ll be more moments like this one. A lot more. We have time.”

“We have time,” Taylor echoed, smiling shyly. Thousands of words in the English language, and she had never heard three words that gave her so much hope.

They had time.

_\--------------------------------------------_

With the help of some fast walking, her hoodie, and a pair of sunglasses Karlie had whipped out from her suitcase, Taylor was able to leave the Met unrecognised.

The pair stood on the sidewalk, each trying to get a taxi home. Taylor still hadn’t let go of Karlie’s hand.

“Here,” Karlie took out her phone. “Can I grab your number?”

“Oh, of course,” Taylor made a new contact in Karlie’s phone. “When can we see each other again?”

“As soon as possible,” Karlie said.

“Tonight?” Taylor asked hopefully. “I’d love to take you to dinner.”

Karlie nodded eagerly, then seemed to stop herself. Taylor frowned as she felt Karlie’s heart skip a few beats, as she watched the taller girl retreat deep into her own head.

“Not tonight,” Karlie said with resignation. “There’s something I need to do first.”

“Oh, okay,” Taylor tried to hide her disappointment.

“Hey believe me, there’s nothing I’d rather do than go to dinner with you tonight. But there’s something I’ve got to take care of and want to get it done as soon as possible.”

“Okay. What about breakfast tomorrow then?”

“Perfect!” Karlie grinned. “I know the best place for it. And I’m friends with the owner so they’ll be able to get us some fairly private seats.”

“Sounds wonderful.”

“Cool! I’ll text you later?”

“You’d better!” Taylor laughed.

With a honk, a taxi pulled up beside them, closely followed by another. It was time to separate again.

With a sigh, Karlie stepped closer to Taylor. “Promise me you’ll still be real tomorrow?”

Taylor reached out and took Karlie’s hand, placing it over her heart. Such a simple action now carried so much weight, and Karlie understood instantly what she was trying to say. As long as she could feel the heartbeat echoing alongside her own, Taylor was still real.

“I promise,” she said seriously, stepping forward to hug Karlie. “Text me, okay?”

“I will,” Karlie held her tightly, so reluctant to let her go.

The taxi honked again, and Karlie turned enough to send the driver a glare.

“I’d better let you go,” Taylor stepped away. “Thank you for today Karlie.”

“You’re welcome,” Karlie smiled. Taylor knew that if she didn’t walk away now, that addictive, warm-as-sunshine smile wouldn’t let her leave anytime soon.

Taking her time, and keeping her eyes on the other girl for as long as possible, she stepped towards her own taxi, reaching for the door handle before pausing.

Fuck it, she thought.

“Karlie,” she called. The taller girl turned from where she was putting her suitcase in the car in time for Taylor to step into her personal space again.

Coiling herself up on her toes, Taylor pressed a gentle kiss to Karlie’s cheek, before resting their foreheads together.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she laughed, feeling Karlie’s heart rate spike.

“Tomorrow,” Karlie whispered, dazed.

Satisfied, Taylor turned and climbed into her taxi, waving through the window as the car peeled away.

Karlie watched Taylor disappear from sight. Closing her eyes, she brought a hand up to her chest, feeling the singer’s heart beat strong and steadily against her palm.

“Hey miss, are you getting in or what?” the driver snapped.

Rolling her eyes, she climbed into the car. As she drove home to her small apartment, Karlie scrolled through her contacts, eyes resting lovingly on Taylor’s name shining from her phone screen. She tipped her head back and closed her eyes, letting out a heavy sigh.

Taylor was real. Taylor knew she was real. Their entire lives stretched out before them, ready for the taking.

But Karlie hadn’t been lying. There was something she needed to do first.

Heart filled with a newfound determination, Karlie swiped through her contacts, finding who she wanted and hitting the call button. After a few rings, an impatient voice answered the phone.

“Karlie. What is it?”

Karlie took a deep breath. “Josh, we need to talk.”


	2. Run Away Now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Pride Month! Have some useless lesbians!

_In which a very jetlagged Karlie makes another discovery._

It was four in the morning when Karlie finally gave up on sleep.

Jetlag hit her hard the previous night, and she had spent hours lying awake in bed, staring at the ceiling. Thinking about Taylor.

Throughout those countless minutes spent willing her body to sleep, the one thing Karlie was able to focus on was the feeling of that second heartbeat reverberating throughout her body.

Yesterday, the sensation had been strange, prickly, like a forgotten limb was waking itself up. But throughout the day, that second heartbeat began to feel as natural as breathing. As tired as she was, Karlie would have easily written off that day’s events as another dream, but the songwriter’s pulse remained strong and steady beside her own, undoubtedly real.

It was still surreal, being able to pick up on the tiniest change in Taylor’s heart rate, feeling how it sped up, slowed, fluttered throughout the day. As she unpacked her things, concentration always half on that phantom pulse, Karlie imagined what Taylor might have been doing at that moment, what would cause each change in pace.

As she tried and failed to sleep that night, Karlie felt Taylor’s heart slow from its resting rhythm to something more balanced, relaxed, as Taylor presumably fell asleep. Karlie liked to think one day she would be able to decipher Taylor’s exact actions by reading her heartbeat, a secret code only the two of them would ever know.

Taylor’s heartbeat had been steady for hours now. She, unlike Karlie was obviously getting a good night’s sleep.

Karlie scrubbed her eyes with her fingers in frustration. She had to get some sleep damn it. She was _so_ tired, and the day ahead was a busy one. Rolling over, she blindly slapped her hands around, trying to find her phone.

4:03, the numbers shone from the screen.

“Urgh, forget this,” Karlie muttered. It was time to kick jetlag in the face. With a groan, Karlie fell out of bed, and starting searching for her running shoes.

_\--------------------------------------------_

As she hopped around her bedroom, wiggling her legs into her running gear, Karlie scrolled through her phone, re-reading the texts she and Taylor had sent each other the day before.

**12:53**

**Karlie:**

_Hey Taylor!_

_Hope this is the right number_

_Here’s the address for the café I mentioned let me know what you think_

_This is Karlie by the way_

_Karlie Kloss_

**13:09**

**Taylor:**

_Sorry you must have a wrong number_

_I don’t know any Karlie Kloss_

_;)_

_(im winking cos im joking)_

_(that was my attempt at humour)_

_Sorry that was awful_

_I make bad jokes when I’m nervous_

_Now I’m rambling_

_I’ll shut up now_

**13:10**

**Karlie:**

_You don’t have to apologise to me Taylor_

_I think your rambling is cute ;)_

**Taylor** :

_Well thanks_

_I try :P_

_I’ll have a look online at the café gimme a sec_

**13:13**

**Taylor:**

_This place looks perfect!_

**Karlie:**

_Yay! Glad you think so!_

_I’ve got some stuff planned in the morning so is b_ _runch okay?_

_Like 11:00?_

**Taylor:**

_Brunch is perfect_

_I honestly can’t wait to see you again_

_This morning felt like a dream it really did_

**Karlie** :

_Oh my god I cant wait to see you too_

_And yeah I know the feeling_

_I still wouldn’t believe this whole thing if it wasn’t for the heartbeat stuff_

**Taylor:**

_Me too_

_I’ve been paying attention to it all day_

_Still getting used to it_

**Karlie:**

_It’s not disturbing you or anything is it?_

**Taylor:**

_God no_

_It’s nice_

_Weird but nice_

_Its good to have a reminder that you’re still real_

_Makes everything a lot more solid you know? Like we didn’t just go through years and years of dreams for nothing. It was all actually for a purpose. We were meant to find each other no matter what_

_That’s pretty neat if you ask me_

Karlie smiled to herself as she tugged on her socks. She had only known Taylor for a day, and she could already tell that alongside her gentle, slightly dorky nature, the songwriter was a fiercely intelligent woman.

**13:25**

**Taylor:**

_Im rambling again sorry_

_You still make me nervous_

**Karlie:**

_Hey it’s fine_

_You’re totally right_

_And you don’t have to be nervous about me_

_I don’t bite_

**Taylor:**

_Good to know I didn’t just organise a date with a vampire :P_

_That was another bad joke_

_I’ll stop now_

_*hides under bed_

**Karlie:**

_No actually that was pretty good!_

**Taylor** :

_You’re just saying that_

**Karlie:**

_Am not! I take my sense of humour very seriously_

_Anyway I’d better go_

_Still haven’t finished unpacking my stuff :)_

_I’ll see you tomorrow Taylor_

**Taylor:**

_See you tomorrow Karlie xx_

Karlie’s fingers ghosted over the two kiss signs at the end of Taylor’s last text.

This was so special, she thought. Regardless of the nature of their relationship, whether it remained platonic or grew into something more, the connection she had with Taylor was so, so special. And she was determined to make that connection last.

But to do that meant she had a fight to win first. Dread coiled in her gut as she thought of what the morning would bring in just a few short hours, settling like a stone. Mouth set in a determined line, Karlie shoved her feet into her running shoes and took to the streets.

_\--------------------------------------------_

New York was never quiet. There were the busy times, and the less busy times, but the streets were never quiet. It was one of the many reasons Karlie loved living there. With the constant ambient noise, and the rhythm of her feet hitting the ground, it was easy to let her brain unplug for a while whenever she ran, to let her thoughts drift off to where they needed to go. And she had a lot to think about that morning.

As her feet ate up the pavement, Karlie’s mind wandered back to Taylor, to the implications of their meeting, what would change as they moved forward.

She was in love with Taylor. She knew that down to her bones, instinctively. Past lives and dreams aside, her life was now inextricably tied to Taylor’s.

And that was purely by Karlie’s choice. Whatever forces had brought them together wouldn’t interfere again, she was sure. Finding each other may have been fated, but whatever happened next was their choice.

Would they get married, grow old together? Maybe, and Karlie’s heart fluttered at the thought. Would they even start dating? She was pretty sure they would, after a while. Would they just remain friends, nothing more? Perhaps. But Karlie was alright with that. After all, their only point of reference were dreams of lives they had no control over anymore.

They were under no obligation to do anything with their connection, not really. Karlie would hate to think Taylor was only seeing her under the pretence that she had no other choice in the matter. The two of them were independent. God knew Karlie had been on other dates, seen other girls before Taylor. But she felt no guilt about that. They were allowed to live their own lives outside of their connection to each other, be their own person.

Regardless of whether or not they remained platonic, Karlie for one wasn’t ready for a life without Taylor in it. Not yet. Not after everything they both had endured to find each other. Not after finding out how wonderful her link to Taylor would turn out to be. It had been less than a day, but already she was finding it hard to remember what it felt like before she could feel Taylor’s heartbeat alongside her own.

Yet despite everything, Karlie still questioned how real those dreams of hers now seemed to be. Meeting Taylor, talking to her, the new heartbeat, that was all concrete, quantifiable. Dreams were the polar opposite of that, and the logical part of Karlie’s brain still struggled to believe that two people could be so destined to meet as they were, so drawn to each other.

It was a little isolating, if she was honest. It wasn’t as though there were others like them, other couples who had met in a similar way they could turn to for advice. Whoever heard of two people dreaming about each other for years, with dozens of past lives, maybe more, only to find out the other person was not only real, but had the exact same experience? It wasn’t your typical love story, that was for sure.

Then again, Karlie thought, who was to say that there weren’t other people like her and Taylor? She personally was in no rush to announce to the world what she and Taylor shared. Who’s to say there weren’t dozens, hundreds of other people who had experienced the same thing, but had kept that special connection to themselves?

After all, what was love other than an unexplainable pull towards another person, falling like gravity?

Karlie stopped at a street corner, hands on her knees as she caught her breath. Then she cocked her head to the side, attention turned inwards as she felt the echo-heartbeat change tempo. A smile crept up her face as she felt it briefly stutter, then pick up pace to a normal resting rate.

Taylor was awake.

The second she had that thought, it was as if a switch had been flipped inside her. All at once, the guiding sensation, the call that had led her to Taylor returned. Nowhere near as hot or as frantic as it had been the morning they met, though. This was much calmer, a compass steadily finding its north.

“Oh my god,” Karlie whispered to herself.

Closing her eyes, she let the sensation grow until it was almost tactile, humming right down to her fingertips.

Oh, this was familiar. Slightly different, but there was no question that this was the same reaction, that same pulling sensation in her gut that had appeared following each dream about Taylor.

Instinct told her to act fast, the old fear of the connection fading before she could catch it rising up like a wave. But something told Karlie to relax, be patient.

Years of trying to pinpoint and follow that guiding sensation had given her some practice at least. Karlie had always imagined it as a string, hovering just within reach. Following that guide meant catching a hold of that string.

Squeezing her eyes shut even tighter, Karlie reached, feeling the thread tickling the edges of her mind before she finally caught hold. The darkness behind her eyes shifted, blurred, refocused. And like a memory, New York appeared in her mind, endless corridors of streets and buildings taking shape like a layered map.

The thread stretched away from her, winding between buildings and alleyways before settling on its destination. In her mind, Karlie followed, feeling the connection grow hot as once again, the thread linked her heart to its counterpart. 

Taylor.

Curious, Karlie once again focused her attention on the coil of energy in her centre, and exhaled, willing it to relax. Slowly, she felt the thread retract, coiling itself up and losing its heat before disappearing back into her chest. 

Karlie chuckled in disbelief. As if the heartbeat wasn’t enough, she could now pinpoint Taylor’s location whenever she wanted. She wondered if Taylor felt that too. She’d have to ask her later. After her meeting with…

“Oh shit,” Karlie checked the time on her phone. She had to get ready or else she was going to be late again. Turning around, she began to jog home.

If there was one thing Josh detested, it was being made to wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY PRIDE MONTH EVERYONE! Taylor loves and supports her LGBTQ+ kids and that's the tea.


	3. I Needed A Reason

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So between the last update and this chapter, Taylor announced Lover, released You Need To Calm Down, and unleashed the gayest music video I have ever seen. Suffice to say, my tiny lesbian heart is very full.

_In which Karlie has a battle to win._

Karlie was known for many things, but arriving on time when it counted was not one of them. Thankfully for her, years of the unbreakable habit meant she was becoming an expert at getting ready in a very short amount of time.

Within ten minutes of arriving home from her run, she had showered and changed into a new set of clean clothes. In another five, she was out the door once again.

“7:15,” Karlie checked the time on her phone as she stepped onto the pavement. “Not too bad.”

“You’re fifteen minutes late,” a terse voice called.

Karlie glanced up to see Josh frowning at her as he leaned against his car, hands shoved deep into his pockets. His chauffeur was already waiting in the driver’s seat, car idling.

Oh boy here we go, Karlie thought, plastering an easy smile on her face.

“Sorry about that Josh,” she said walking up to him. “You know me, I can’t ever be on time for anything.” 

“Mmm,” Josh grunted, mouth twisted into something that may have resembled a smile, if you squinted.

“Good to see you too,” Karlie quipped tugging him close for a quick hug.

“Yeah well,” Josh returned the hug with one arm. “Whatever it is you want to talk about I hope it’s important. I had to put off another meeting to fit this one in.”

“And I appreciate that. I really do,” Karlie said, genuine. “And it is important. I didn’t want to talk about this over the phone.”

“I’m sure it is,” Josh said offhandedly. “Come on, we’d better go.”

Not bothering to open the car door for her, he moved to his side behind the driver’s seat and climbed in. Karlie sighed and let herself in, buckling up as the car peeled away from the sidewalk.

_\--------------------------------------------_

A tense silence filled the car as they drove. Josh was incessantly checking his phone, barely sparing her any small talk. Karlie on the other hand was too preoccupied with rehearsing how their next conversation would pan out to do much else.

In her head, Karlie had already compiled a shortlist of people who were trustworthy and important enough to know the truth about her and Taylor. Kristine, obviously, the only one in her family who knew about their shared dreams. Cara, who gave her so much love and support that day she realised Taylor was a real person. Her mother, maybe, if her relationship with Taylor progressed far enough.

But one thing was certain, Josh was not part of that list. Which led to the question of how she could explain all of this to Josh without sounding crazy? With a move as big as the one she was about to make, he would want a damn good reason for her decision. A reason she couldn’t give him in full. But she couldn’t just lie about it. She owed him some semblance of the truth.

But as they parked outside their destination, Karlie was jerked out of her thoughts by the unmistakable sound of paparazzi. Glancing out the window, she was greeted with a wall of photographers, cameras creating a riot of clicks and flashes, all calling out her name.

“Seriously?” Karlie said, even as she spared them a courteous smile. “How’d they know we’d be here?”

“I called them,” Josh said briskly. Karlie turned to him, incredulous.

“What? Why?”

“Our schedules won’t line up like this for a few months. We have to take any opportunity we can get to be seen together. Come on,” he said, opening his door. “We’d better hold hands.”

Karlie just shook her head, getting out of the car herself. “Unbelievable,” she muttered.

As annoyed as she was, Karlie consciously forced herself to relax. She wouldn’t win this if she wasn’t calm and collected.

Hand in hand, she and Josh made the short walk up the sidewalk into the building, cameras flashing after them. She could see the headline now, adorning the banner of some trashy gossip website, _“Karlie Kloss enjoys romantic date with boyfriend Joshua Kushner at high profile New York hotel_.”

Urgh.

A few short weeks ago, an article like that wouldn’t have bothered her. But after meeting Taylor, the thought of those words being released into the world made her stomach turn to acid, the hand that wasn’t hanging limply in Josh’s grip involuntarily tightening to a fist.

Meeting at a well-known, very public hotel wasn’t even her idea. Had it been up to her, they would have met somewhere far more private. But Josh had insisted. So there they were. That was how it always had been.  

The second they had passed through the hotel’s thick revolving doors, Josh dropped her hand.

“This way,” he said, setting off in the direction of the hotel’s restaurant. He didn’t even look back to see if Karlie was following.

As a waiter led them to their reserved table, Karlie glanced around their surroundings with a grimace, a squirm of nervousness creeping up her gut. Enormous windows, crowded tables, open floorplan, waiters and waitresses every five steps you took, the restaurant lacked any and all privacy. As much as she had rehearsed what she was going to say, she had no idea how Josh would react. The last thing she wanted was to cause a scene in public with her “boyfriend.”

As they arrived at their table, Josh sat down and promptly opened up a menu. Karlie raised her eyebrows as she pulled a chair out for herself.

“Well,” she cleared her throat. “Um, thank you again for meeting me.”

Josh made a sound halfway between a grunt and a noise of agreement, not looking up.

“You know I wouldn’t have asked to meet on such short notice if it wasn’t something important,” she continued. “And I know time is very important to you, and I respect that, so I’m just going to go ahead and say it.”

Karlie took a deep breath. Here goes, she thought. “Josh, I want-”

“Morning folks!” an overly-cheery waiter sidled up to their table. “What can I get for you lovely people today?”

You’ve got to be kidding, Karlie thought, but flashed a smile nonetheless.

“Oh, we’re not having anyth-”

“Yeah, I’ve got a question about the breakfast special,” Josh interrupted.

“Josh!” Karlie hissed.

“Sure thing honey!” the waiter chirped with far too much perkiness for that hour of the morning.

Karlie proceeded to gape open-mouthed as Josh wasted five minutes ordering his breakfast. By the time they were done, she was beginning to get impatient. As the waiter left with their menus, Josh immediately went back to checking his phone.

“Josh,” she snapped. With a sigh and exaggerated slowness, Josh put down his phone and finally turned his attention to her.

“Alright Karlie, what’s so important?”

“I’m not renewing the contract.”

Silence. Josh’s jaw sagged open, eyes wider than she had ever seen them. If the situation hadn’t been so serious, she might have found it funny.

“What do you mean you’re not renewing the contract?” he asked. “We talked about this, we _agreed_ on this months ago Karlie. Everything’s already set to go ahead. Our current contract expires next week, and we agreed to start the new cycle immediately afterwards.”

“I know,” Karlie said calmly. “That’s why I wanted to meet with you right away. I’m not renewing it.”

Josh let out an incredulous laugh, which was cut short as he saw the determination in her eyes. “You’re serious about this?”

“I am.”

“ _Jesus_ Karlie,” Josh ran a hand down his face. “Why now? We’ve had so many discussions about this already and I didn’t hear you protest once. What’s changed?”

Karlie took a deep breath. Here it was.

“I’ve met the person I’m going to be spending the rest of my life with,” she said simply.

Josh stared at her like she had just grown a second nose.

“Are you kidding me?”

“No,” Karlie said with a steady shake of her head.

“Hang on, hang on,” Josh waved his hand, frowning. “I only saw you a month ago. How can you meet someone, get to know them, and be certain you’ll marry them in the span of one month? When did you meet her? I’m assuming it’s a her.”

Karlie took a deep breath. “I meet her recently.”

“How recently?”

“Yesterday.”

The incredulous look on Josh’s face shifted to a stormy expression in the blink of an eye.

“Are you _fucking_ kidding me Karlie?” he hissed. “What, you have a one-night stand with some girl and just like that you’re ready to throw away _months_ of planning? You’re ready to leave an agreement that’s worked for years already?”

Karlie winced at Josh’s snide remark, but kept her gaze steady. “Josh, I can’t tell you all the details, but I can tell you without any doubt that I belong with her. You’re just going to have to trust me on this.”

Josh ran his hands through his hair. “Fucking hell. Can’t you complete this next phase of the contract and then reconsider this? Terminating the arrangement so suddenly isn’t a good idea. Can’t you just go through with it until it expires and then see if this girl of yours is still around?”

“The next phase of the contract lasts for four years. That’s four years of lying to her. And I’m not about to do that,” Karlie said adamantly.

“Alright, so tell her then,” Josh said, irritation lacing his voice. “Tell her about our arrangement, about the contract. If she wants to be with you, then she’ll have to just accept that this is what we do. This is what we have always done. And if she can’t deal with that, then that’s on her. It’s not our problem.”

“No,” Karlie shook her head. “Absolutely not. That’s not fair on either of us.”

“So what? We just cut our losses now? Say ‘hey thanks, it’s been a good run’ and drop everything we’ve been working on, building up for years? That’s really what you want to do?”

Karlie paused, letting his words hang in the air. “Yes.”

Josh sighed. “It’s good publicity Karlie. You know that. Especially in the modelling industry. We have such an easy narrative to sell. Unless you go public with your new girl, people will start to ask why such an up-and-coming model hasn’t got a boyfriend.”

“Maybe,” Karlie agreed. “But is it such a bad thing to be known for my work ethic and the effort I put into my job? Rather than my love life? We’re not exactly A-list Josh. People barely know we’re supposed to be together.”

Josh’s face twisted into an ugly frown. “I need this, Karlie. Many of my business partners aren’t exactly LGBT allies. I can’t let them find out what I am.”

“I know,” Karlie said gently. “But this arrangement isn’t fair to you either. Can you honestly tell me that you’re 100% comfortable with what we’re doing?”

“It’s good for business,” Josh retorted.

“Forget business,” Karlie snapped. “I’m talking about _you_ , Josh. Look at me and tell me honestly that our arrangement isn’t taxing on you too. Tell me that you’re not tired of pretending and lying about who you are. Tell me the thought of doing it for another four years doesn’t make you feel exhausted.”

Josh’s lips drew themselves into a thin line. He remained silent, but Karlie could tell that her words had hit a nerve.

“It was a good arrangement at first,” Karlie said gently, “but it’s become more trouble than it’s worth. We don’t have to do this anymore. And as for your business partners, you can always play up the ‘successful bachelor’ routine. I’m sure they’d go for that as much as they have for our relationship.”

Josh looked at her, the momentary gap in his bravado disappearing. When he spoke again, his voice was dark, all business and no emotion.

“I could take legal action against you,” he said lowly. “What then?”

It was Karlie’s turn to frown, a tiny flame of fear sparking in her chest before she quashed it.

“Legal action? On what grounds Josh? Refusing to sign a contract? Violating a contract that has already expired? That’s no basis for legal action and you know it.”

“I could tell everyone.”

Karlie was stunned into silence. “You’d out me?”

Josh nodded, eyes serious. Karlie stared at him incredulously. She was expecting idle threats, but she never thought Josh would try for such a low blow.

“You’d seriously out me? You’d rather start that war than let the contract just expire naturally?”

Josh said nothing, but slumped back in this chair, regarding her carefully.

“You won’t out me Josh,” she continued. “Because you’d be outing yourself in the process. If people find out I’m gay, they’ll wonder why I had a boyfriend in the first place. All the focus will turn to you. They’ll find out eventually.”

Josh maintained his caustic gaze for a beat longer, before she saw his shoulders deflate.

Karlie pressed on. “I’m not renewing the contract Josh. It was useful when we started, but things are different now. And continuing it isn’t going to be fair to anyone, least of all you and me. And I think you know that too.”

After a few terrifying moments of silence, Josh’s lips cracked into a rueful smile.

“Shame on me for always underestimating how smart you are,” he said regretfully. “You’ve really thought this through. And all for a girl you met yesterday.”

Karlie felt Taylor’s heart beat in tandem with her own. “She’s it, Josh. She’s the one for me. I’m sure of it.”

“Are you sure there’s no other way I could convince you otherwise?”

Karlie shook her head, an apologetic look on her face. “Afraid not.”

Josh levelled his gaze on her, mouth twisted in contempt. Karlie leaned forward on her elbows, attention focused entirely on him, trying to read what was running through his mind.

Please, she thought. Please, please, _please_.

Eventually, Josh gave a frustrated sigh, hands clenched into white-knuckled fists.

“Fucking hell Karlie. Do you know how much work this is going to be? We’ll have to scrap the waiting contracts and future stunts, discuss what narrative we’ll feed out… It’ll take weeks for everyone involved to finalise everything.”

Karlie said nothing, just held her breath and hoped. _Please_.

Josh let his fist fall heavily on the table, silverware clattering from the impact.

“Fine. _Fine._ You don’t have to renew the contract. We’re done.”

Karlie’s chair screeched in her haste to stand up. In two steps, she had Josh in the tightest and most heartfelt hug they had ever shared.

“Thank you!” she whisper-yelled. “Thank you, thank you, _thank you_!”

“Hey, save it!” Josh wormed his way out of her grip. “Don’t get all grateful. I’m only doing this because there’s nothing I can do to force you into another contract. I’m still furious.”

“I know, I know,” Karlie said, trying to rein in her joy. “I just… oh _thank you_ Josh.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered. “This girl of yours had better be worth all this. I still think you’ll regret this once she leaves you.”

“She won’t,” Karlie said confidently. “She is worth it. She is.”

Josh gave a non-committal grunt, glancing at the time on his phone. “Sure, sure. Something tells me you’ve got places to be.”

“I’m meeting her for brunch today, yeah,” she smiled shyly. “Mind if I…”

Josh waved his hand dismissively. “Go. I’ll get in contact with you to work out contingencies later.”

“Thank you, Josh. I mean it,” Karlie said, genuine.

Josh gave a wry smile. “I’ll see you around Karlie.”

“See you around.” With one last wave over her shoulder, Karlie left him sitting alone, and headed back out the giant revolving doors of the hotel.

As the morning sun hit her skin, Karlie closed her eyes, tipping her face towards the light. As she stepped outside into the daylight, she felt like floating, a heavy weight in her chest uncoiling at last.

She couldn’t exactly call Josh a friend, had known him too long to call him an acquaintance. What she had with him was… different. Friend or not, he had been a constant in her life for a long time, and time had a way of carving out spaces in hearts.

No, he wasn’t her friend, but she couldn’t help but feel a certain level of fondness towards him. Letting go of that constancy was hard. But it had to be done. It was time.

In that moment, Karlie felt nothing but hope. The future was looking bright. And she and Taylor could now face it together.

With her smile growing ever wider, Karlie flagged a taxi.

She had a date to get to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Yeets Josh into the garbage where he belongs*  
> Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled lesbianism.

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to We Are Infinite As The Universe everyone! 
> 
> First of all, thank you all so much for your ongoing support for this series. It was so humbling to see that people were still reading and enjoying We Are Written In The Stars even after I had published the last chapter. 
> 
> I hope you are all as excited as I am for this next story! From what I have planned, it should be longer than its prequel, so I hope you're ready for a good long ride. I sincerely hope you enjoy this new story as much as its prequel.
> 
> I can't promise consistent updates, but rest assured that I will not abandon this story. That said, the next chapter should be coming soon. 
> 
> Until then, enjoy, happy reading, have fun listening to ME! on repeat like I have, and I will see you in the next chapter!


End file.
